Take 5: with Kinch Reindl

Kinch Reindl is an entrepreneur out of Colorado. He started autocrossing in 2002 in a 1997 Honda Civic Coupe. He promptly bought an Audi S4, the wrong car for class, but attended SCCA Tire Rack Nationals in 2007 at the behesting of his friend, Jeff Lundgren. He has attended every Nationals since. He has three ProSolo® Challenge wins and three ProSolo Class Championships in D Street in an Acura Integra Type R.

JH: Thanks for agreeing to do this, Kinch. I have been asked by a few people that know we are friends, what does he do for a living? He seems like he is doing all sorts of stuff! So, what is it that you do? And what led you down the road of being an entrepreneur?

KR: I knew very early on that I wanted to make money. It started with shoveling horse manure and mowing when I was really young. And from then on, I was always finding new ways to make money. When I was 16, I watched a friend’s dad buy stuff wholesale, then sell it. At first from the side of the road, but then he got a small building. And then he got another building in a bigger city. So, I started doing that. I went to the wholesale market and bought clothing, speakers and the like. And I wouldn’t say I was good at it. This is something I’ve realized in life, I’m not really good at things when I start them. I just kind of keep with it. Then I went to college. Why? Not sure. Probably because my parents expected me to. While there, I ended up joining Amway. And the crazy thing is, they taught me more about business than the two business degrees I ended up getting! After I graduated, I got a job. But for me, sitting in a cubical was painful. Still, I did it for years. Then, luckily, I changed jobs and I ended up working for a company with Jeff Lundgren. And he had a side biz. And when we merged with another company, I saw all these other people doing the same. And it wasn’t rocket science. So, all that lead to a couple friends and I starting a web hosting company as a side biz in 2002, which is the same year I started autocrossing. But we didn’t pay ourselves anything from that company for seven years. And shoot, I can’t recall what year I stopped working full time, but between consulting and the webhosting company, I was able to quit my job. So what I do now is still the web hosting gig, but about a year ago we started the Barndo thing, which are steel buildings converted to houses. I also still consult, work on patents, and have ventured into real-estate. Basically, I try to be good at saying yes to things.

JH: People may or may not know about your podcast, Autocross Talk. What inspired you to start that?

KR: I was already doing a podcast about business (YourBusinessPodcast.com) where I did solo shows, as well as interview people who have their own business. After doing that for a couple of years, I thought it would be interesting to do an interview show of various autocrossers. Michael O'Neal, a fellow autocrosser and host of the SolopreneurHour Podcast, thought it was a good idea as well and encouraged me to do it "right" with a real intro etc. So, I went out and took the muffler of the Type R, and revved it up, and sent everything to a guy to have him do, and redo, the opening sequence. Anyway, I really like to hear people's stories, as well as how they approach autocross. And I figure the only thing better than me just learning from all these people is to share it so others might be able to learn as well.

JH: Some may know of your love of the Acura Integra Type R. Why that particular car? And how many do you own currently?

KR: After taking an Audi S4 to Nationals two years in a row, I figured if you can't beat them join them. While my S4 did great up here at altitude, the extra 1200lbs really showed up at Nationals! So, I talked to David Fauth about the Type R and Kevin Youngers, Bob Tunnell about the BMW 330ci. I was initially set on the BMW. I went to look at it, and even really contemplated the M3. But after discussing it more with a few people, it sounded like the BMW needed a clutch each year, if you did a lot of ProSolos like I did. The Type R was also a favorite of my brother who wanted one, but never got one. A great memory of mine is that my first autocross ever was in the Honda Civic I bought from him. He passed before I ever raced, but was a big influence on my journey into being a car enthusiast. So that kind of sealed the deal on the Type R. And I have really enjoyed them ever since. I currently own two, as I accidently bought one out of Canada on Bring a Trailer. That might be a story for another time!

JH: What is your favorite car/class you have competed in?

KR: Driving Salil's GT3 was something I appreciated each and every run, and I hope I thanked him each run! Just an absolutely amazing car.

JH: So, we all know you have your fingers in a bunch of different things. If you had to “settle down” and focus on doing one thing for a living, what would it be?

KR: What would I do if only one thing? I would help people in whatever capacity I can. Whether it is speaking on stage, social media posts/videos, etc. … or one-on-one conversations. I've realized my energy really peaks when I can help people in their journeys whether it is autocross, business or life! The only thing better than learning is sharing something with others.